Help In Choosing For 3 Diving Company'S?

[doingok]

Hi Paul,

Have you already done your course or are you going to do it? If so, whom with and for how much?

Might be helpfull info for others.

me and the wife are not going to tao till 1st october but some of the price's have dropped a little but its the deal's on accommodation and food/drink vouchers that look ok deals djl offer 400 baht per day per person.but we have a number of dive centres but we need the find out were and what we want.i.e quiet or party and being kept up all night we like to party now and then but like to sleep to lol.

It might have helped to be a bit more specific in your question and state that first and foremost you are looking for the cheapest possible deal, followed by an acceptable outfit for that kinda money. I mean free accommodation with a course seems to be common, but food and drink vouchers? I thought you could only trick a few young backpackers, coming from or heading to the full moon party, still needing to tick the "get yer PADI done" off the list, before maxing out daddies credit card and investing the last cash in cheap booze, into those amazing deals. I would also recommended having a look around the island and talking with / observing a few operators before you decide for one.

1 its not daddy's money its ours that we have worked hard for (and won)

2 we have a dive centre now

3.the deals we were offered was offered from them as i have my own gear.

4 400x7=2800 =£58 so if they are welling to get me that i will like most people would take it.

5.at 45 and no need to work, and travelling the world i think i must of been doingok somewhere, so no more need for your sarcastic comment.i asked a question about 3 dive centres end of.

[limbos]

I'm not a dive center owner

After spending many years travel in Thailand first time 2001

I learned to do a dive and I understand what's going on with dive centers

Now when I'm not advertising for you what to do

but the truth is said diving centers with small groups are preferable to the other major falling from the craft like a penguin

go to dive with the sairee cottage diving

small, friendly dive center in koh tao

ol the ather is like diving with piguine

Nice to see your first ever post on this forum and your wisdom about the Koh Tao dive community. Your shop must be the best thing since sliced bread! Your colleagues and other dive centers around Koh Tao probably love you to bits and pieces. Good luck , you probably need it.

That's a slightly more informative post than just saying, 'these guys are good, the rest ain't', as in your first post. I agree fully that small dc's are preferable and I don't mind at all that you don't promote since I don't live and work on Koh Tao, It also helps when you use your spelling check or re-read your posts before posting so there are no spelling mistakes and other people who read your post can understand what you're trying to say.

[FWIW]

. I agree fully that small dc's are preferable

Respectfully, I would have do disagree with that statement, mainly because I think its starting from the wrong point.

If I was to learn to dive today, my first question would be : Can anybody personally recommend a good instructor? My second question would be : What are the normal instructor: student ratios?

In Tao, as elsewhere it seems instuctors can change companies by season, companies can be great one year, and a mess the next year - or even the next month!

A solid instructor will give his best working in a big dc or a small dc, hence I would go for the person rather than the company....

Learning to dive with a newly minted PADI instructor maxing out his/her student ratios just simply does not seem a good idea...

[stevenl]

In Tao, as elsewhere it seems instuctors can change companies by season, companies can be great one year, and a mess the next year - or even the next month!

If that is the case the courses may have been good one year, but that was luck, the the divecenter itself was not good, with bad management. A good divecenter will make sure the courses are of a consistent high quality and have the instructors that fit the philosophy of the divecenter.

[doingok]

. I agree fully that small dc's are preferable

Respectfully, I would have do disagree with that statement, mainly because I think its starting from the wrong point.

If I was to learn to dive today, my first question would be : Can anybody personally recommend a good instructor? My second question would be : What are the normal instructor: student ratios?

In Tao, as elsewhere it seems instuctors can change companies by season, companies can be great one year, and a mess the next year - or even the next month!

A solid instructor will give his best working in a big dc or a small dc, hence I would go for the person rather than the company....

Learning to dive with a newly minted PADI instructor maxing out his/her student ratios just simply does not seem a good idea...

My first post

Hi Guy

I am looking to do my PADI open water on koh tao and i have found these 3 dive company's.

1.Davy Jones Locker.2 scuba junction 3.deep blue diving

Anyone dived with one of these feed back would be great

Cheers Paul

The only ones that should of answered this should of been people that have dived at anyone of the 3 dive centre which would of been they personal experience,and i thought this was simple thing to ask ?

A good company should always have good staff and know how THE COMPANY WORKS NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND. so all the instructors should follow the company's rule.and give the same service year in year one.

thanks paul

[limbos]

. I agree fully that small dc's are preferable

Respectfully, I would have do disagree with that statement, mainly because I think its starting from the wrong point.

If I was to learn to dive today, my first question would be : Can anybody personally recommend a good instructor? My second question would be : What are the normal instructor: student ratios?

In Tao, as elsewhere it seems instuctors can change companies by season, companies can be great one year, and a mess the next year - or even the next month!

A solid instructor will give his best working in a big dc or a small dc, hence I would go for the person rather than the company....

Learning to dive with a newly minted PADI instructor maxing out his/her student ratios just simply does not seem a good idea...

Interesting to see what you read into one line. I've worked in both big and smaller dc's and for whatever it's worth, in general I think that with smaller dc's you tend to get more personal service, although that's not guaranteed.

I would rather be taught by an instructor in a ration of 1 to 4 than by an instructor who tends to teach groups of 6 or more students most of the time, but to each his or her own.

At the end of the day I think your instructor makes or breaks a course with his or her personal enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and attitude in general. Customers will most likely follow an instructor rather than return to a dc. Possibly we're saying the same thing in different ways.

[FWIW]

. I agree fully that small dc's are preferable

Respectfully, I would have do disagree with that statement, mainly because I think its starting from the wrong point.

If I was to learn to dive today, my first question would be : Can anybody personally recommend a good instructor? My second question would be : What are the normal instructor: student ratios?

In Tao, as elsewhere it seems instuctors can change companies by season, companies can be great one year, and a mess the next year - or even the next month!

A solid instructor will give his best working in a big dc or a small dc, hence I would go for the person rather than the company....

Learning to dive with a newly minted PADI instructor maxing out his/her student ratios just simply does not seem a good idea...

Interesting to see what you read into one line. I've worked in both big and smaller dc's and for whatever it's worth, in general I think that with smaller dc's you tend to get more personal service, although that's not guaranteed.

I would rather be taught by an instructor in a ration of 1 to 4 than by an instructor who tends to teach groups of 6 or more students most of the time, but to each his or her own.

At the end of the day I think your instructor makes or breaks a course with his or her personal enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and attitude in general. Customers will most likely follow an instructor rather than return to a dc. Possibly we're saying the same thing in different ways.

Yes, we are. What you say is exactly the point I was trying to make.

[limbos]

That was my conclusion as well.

[tlansford]

Thanks for that tom we will be there 1st October but only for a the diving,then back to koh samui as that will be our base the the 6 months so only on koh tao a week that most unless i do my AOW but have to wait and see.

Kind Regards

Paul

Hi Paul,

do your AOW immediately after your OWD if you answer yes to these 3 questions :

1) I like diving and just might go again

2) I have 2 days available now to do 5 more dives

3) I have a little bit of money to pay for the AOW class

Your dive base / instructor will try to get you to sign up for the AOW anyway - they always do. But in this case, it is the BEST thing you can do for your diving.

- more than doubles your # of dives. it's all practical training (on the boat and in the water). you get to chose 3 of the types of dives to do, and you get certified to 30 meters.

[doingok]

Thanks for that tom we will be there 1st October but only for a the diving,then back to koh samui as that will be our base the the 6 months so only on koh tao a week that most unless i do my AOW but have to wait and see.

Kind Regards

Paul

Hi Paul,

do your AOW immediately after your OWD if you answer yes to these 3 questions :

1) I like diving and just might go again

2) I have 2 days available now to do 5 more dives

3) I have a little bit of money to pay for the AOW class

Your dive base / instructor will try to get you to sign up for the AOW anyway - they always do. But in this case, it is the BEST thing you can do for your diving.

- more than doubles your # of dives. it's all practical training (on the boat and in the water). you get to chose 3 of the types of dives to do, and you get certified to 30 meters.

Thanks i am thinking of doing that as its seems the best thing to do.